Turian Love
by SunaGirl
Summary: Shepard finds herself falling for one of her closest friends as she chases down the Collectors. Can they make it work? Fem!Shepard & Garrus. SPOILERS for Mass Effect 2. Don't forget to review. M for language and smut in later chapters.
1. Memories

I watch my space hamster half-heartedly. Sauntering through my personal quarters, I stop to feed my fish. My mind races. I do not walk with the weight of the world on my shoulders, but the weight of the galaxy. I sit stiffly on the edge of my bed and gaze deeply at my old N7 Alliance helmet... the one I died in. I saved the galaxy only to die what felt like a heartbeat later. Resurrected by Cerberus and for what? So that the more-than-questionable multi-billion credit organization can employ me to destroy the Collectors. Now the Alliance has abandoned me. Even Anderson abandoned me. Lying back, I close my eyes and try to put everything in order.

Alive for a month or so, and I'm already shipped off to recruit the strongest group of freaks the galaxy has ever known in order to save billions of human lives. Already I must track down a violence-prone Salarian scientist, a super-powerful psycho biotic (whom we broke out of prison, no less), a genetically engineered test tube baby super-Krogan, and Garrus.

Garrus.

Just thinking the name clears my mind of everything else. He was-- and is one of my closest, one of my _only_ friends. My thoughts flitter to Kaidan for a moment. A quick romance, made in desperation, in the face of death. It meant so little to me now; I _almost_ felt guilty.

But Garrus. _Garrus._

Oh, why can't I stop thinking of him? I never felt anything for him before. He was just another trigger-happy Turian warrior, although his passion for capital justice, well. Let's just say that he's _my_ kind of Turian. Garrus was by my side the entire time I hunted Sovereign. I never left Garrus behind. Never. He helped me choose between saving or sacrificing the Council, the leaders of the galaxy. We let three lives fade away in exchange for the safety of a few million human lives. Oh well, Garrus and I never liked the Council anyway. Hell, I once accepted a call from them just to hang up on them.

I chuckle at the memory as my train of thought rushes to the recent events on Omega.

Searching for the mysterious vigilante dubbed the "Archangel." Heh, the title made me grin, but not as much as when I saw the man remove his helmet.

My heart skipped a beat at the revelation. Who else but Garrus could sit in the top floor of an apartment and pick of dozens and dozens of gangsters for days on end with nothing but his sniper rifle? But the joy of reunion was short-lived.

Zaeed and I left for the basement level, leaving Miranda to support Garrus. When we finished locking down the lower level, a helicopter was making laps around the upper floor, a shower of armor-piercing bullets pouring from its turrets. Zaeed, Miranda and I made quick work of the battle chopper. Garrus had not fared so well. He was down when Zaeed and I returned.

Makes me wonder what that bitch Miranda was actually doing to help Garrus up there. God, I wanted to punch her right out the damn window.

Garrus was more important at the moment though. He was against the wall, sprawled on his back. Mouth agape, head-fringe twitching, fingers still gripping the trigger of his rifle desperately, he lay in a pool of his own blood-- a viscous indigo blue that sparkled dully. My stomach turned at the sight and my heart raced. My mind went numb when Zaeed decided to open his mouth.

"He's not gonna make it," he said. I nearly shot that ugly bastard right then and there. But I swallowed my rage and focused on helping Garrus.

I called in the Normandy, barely keeping my voice calm. We loaded him carefully onto the shuttle and then the Normandy. Doctor Chakwas worked her magic, and Garrus was up and smarting off in just a few hours.

Garrus entered the debriefing room as I spoke with Miranda. He looked as good as new, except for a huge scar on his face and a bandage across most of the left side of his head and neck, not to mention the gaping hole in his armor.

"And I thought you were ugly before, Garrus," I joked.

"Some women find facial scars attractive, Shepard," he smirked in reply. "Mind you," he added, "most of those women are Krogan."

We grinned at each other.

I sigh, my flashback finished, and roll over on my side. What a strange feeling. Is this what they call love? Who would've thought that I, who killed Wrex and destroyed the genophage cure, who destroyed the entire Rachni race, who sacrificed the Council, would be able to feel love for anything but battle.

Thoughts of Saren, the Geth, Sovereign, the Reapers, the Collectors, the Alliance, and Cerberus flood my tired brain, making my head pound. Another thought of Garrus pushes it all away. EDI's synthetic voice pushes _that_ away.

"Are you feeling alright, Commander?"

"Shut up," I mumble, burying my face in my pillow. Before EDI can respond, I hear a muffled knock at the door. I pick my head up and hear another, clearer, knock. "What?" I ask, head facing the closed door.

"Am I bothering you, Shepard?" Garrus's flanging voice is distinctive. I leap off the bed.

"Not at all," I answer nonchalant, wondering if he heard my voice quiver.

The door hisses as it opens. I look up at the Turian, tracing the lines of his facepaint with my eyes. I cringe as my gaze falls on the gaping hole in his armor, the sapphire blue burned jet black. I don't think he noticed.

"Commander." I think he might be smiling.

"Yes, Garrus?" I ask.

"Your assistent wants you know that the Illusive Man needs to speak with you."

"Oh." Do I feel... disappointed? I shrug the feeling away and follow Garrus to the elevator.


	2. Jane'e Shepard's Soft Side

I leave the Main Battery room and slump against the wall. Reach and flexibility. I chuckle darkly. _I'd like to test _your_ reach against _my_ flexibility,_ I repeat the line in my head. A smile finds its way onto my battle-scarred face. Garrus, so stoic and fearless in combat, sent blushing and stuttering by what we both probably thought was a joke at first. But it stuck something within us, something we never noticed, or maybe just refused to notice, before. I find myself falling deeper and deeper in... _love_? I glance at the closed door, that thin layer of metal and gears is all that separates me from the source of my confusion.

As I begin to walk away, I look toward the cook's station. That was where I always found Kaidan in the old Normandy. A pang of guilt sweeps over me as I remember again my romance with Kaidan. It felt like an eternity had passed since then, but still he had feelings for me. The message he sent me proved that he still loved me, although he hates that I'm working with Cerberus.

I continue on my way to the elevator feeling tears in my eyes. _How long has it been since I've cried?_ I ask myself as I wipe my eyes on my sleeve. I never thought I would regret what I had with Kaidan so much.

In my room, I lie on my bed again. No longer crying, I feel myself fall into a memory. That seems to happen so often in here; I guess I just don't know how to relax. Anyway, I think back to the recent mission on Omega. I was helping Garrus track down Sidonis, the man who killed Garrus' entire team and ran away to safety. I did all I could to help Garrus. He handled himself calmer than I would have in his place. Sidonis is dead now, and that's what really matters because now Garrus has his revenge.

stare blankly at the ceiling; all I know at this moment is that I want be with Garrus. Not just in a sexual way, like Kaidan, but really _be_ with him. I want him to feel the way I do, to feel as though we should be spending every waking moment together. Garrus has always been my strength, since he first joined my team. Hell, I've taken him along on _every_ mission I've ever been on since he joined (I've always wondered what he thinks of that).

The more we talk, the more I feel myself fall for him. We may just call it "relieving tension," but I can see it in his eyes. He wants (just as I do) for this to be something more. He says he respects me and that I'm the only friend he's got. It's the truth, but at the same time I think he really wants to say he loves me and that I'm the only woman he wants. Who cares if our one night together turns out to be "interspecies awkwardness"? I think he worries too much...

I go to the Main Battery one last time before heading toward the Omega 4 Relay. It could be the last time we ever get to talk.

"Part of me still thinks we're crazy for even _considering_..." Garrus starts. I don't really hear the words, but I get the message. Staring thoughtfully at him, I remember back when I told myself I could never fall for a non-human. I was so naive back then.

"But I want this. I want just one moment of peace, just the two of us, before we throw ourselves into hell for the good of the galaxy," he finishes. I love the echo-y flanging effect of his voice, and my musing adds a dreamy sound to my answer.

"I want that, too, Garrus."

"Can't wait." He returns to his work.

As I leave to the elevator, I think of Kaidan yet again. I know I don't love him, but I still feel bad, like I've been leading him on for two years just by being dead. But Kaidan could never have me like Garrus does. I can't get Garrus out of my mind; Kaidan never did that to me. Garrus solves all his problems with a rifle; Kaidan worries about ethics and morals all the time.

The elevator whirrs to a stop and I step out into the C.I.C.. I feel like I need to talk to someone, so I go to Mordin's lab and strike up an innocent conversation.

Bad idea.

I regretted that decision immediately. Mordin start off by telling me that he heard from somewhere of my plans with Garrus. I cringe inwardly, a bad feeling about what's going to happen. Mordin gives me the weirdest medical advice I have ever been given, ending with a warning against "ingesting Turian tissue"! He gave me a fucking Turian-Human Kama Sutra and ointments to "reduce discomfort". If not for my unbreakable military bearing, I would have burst out laughing. I thanked Mordin, and left to plot the course for the Omega 4 relay. We set off toward our final mission.


	3. Consummation

SMUT AHEAD!

I leave the shower, prepared to lie down and wait for Garrus. He walks in right as I leave the bathroom, dressed casually in a green and cream-colored outfit. He shows off a bottle of wine, the 'best he can afford on a vigilante's salary'. He turns on the stereo and tries to act cool and calm. I shake my head and shut off the music. Garrus starts talking nervously.

"If you were a Turian, I'd be complimenting your waist or your fringe. So... your hair looks, eh, _good_. And your waist is very... _supportive_." He grins shlyly as I raise an eyebrow, waiting for his next move.

"Oh, wait," he stutters. "That's not offensive in human cul--"

"Well, consider me seduced, sweet talker," I coo, wondering where the hell he came up with that line. "Now shut up and stop worrying." I rest my hands on his shoulders.

"It's just, I've seen so many things go wrong," he says, looking down at me sadly. "C-sec, Sidonis, Sovereign. I just want something to go right, just this once. Just-"

I cup his his injured mandible in my hand; I know that there are no words to help. Pulling him close, we touch foreheads. We close our eyes and I feel his arms around me. We're so close, so little between us. I just can't contain it any longer.

I grip Garrus' shoulders and push him down on my bed. His eyes open wide and his mandibles twitch as I slowly crawl onto him, pressing my body against his.

"Shepard, what are you--" he stammers, but I hold a finger to his lips and smile deviously down at him.

"Just relax and let _me_ handle this." I drag my finger down to the collar of his shirt and rip it away from his chest. He was obviously shocked at my aggression, but I didn't care. I gazed at his plated chest and all I knew was how much I wanted him, and once I start, he'll want it just as much.

I take his hands and run them down my body, letting him feel the soft texture of my skin-- and letting him know not to be afraid. Lightning flashes through me as he guides his hands gently down my curves, eventually resting them on my thighs.

I slide back, down his scaly torso, and stop with a grin as I feel a surprisingly large tent in his pants. Garrus was becoming more nervous every second. He looks away from me, and I lean down to return his eyes to mine.

"You won't hurt me, Garrus... You're doing exactly what I want." Smiling, I bite my lower lip as I slide my hand into his pants, careful not to cut myself on the sharp protrusions of his Turian anatomy, and grip his erect member lightly. He lets out a small gasp as I begin stroking it slowly, running my fingers along its length. A great heat wells up inside of me as I tear his pants off and toss them to the floor. I stroke him faster and guide him between my legs.

I know he feels the radiating heat as I line him up at my entrance. As I lie against him, I smile to remind him that everything's okay. He breathes heavily, wondering what my next move will be, still afraid to act on his own. I take the initiative andpush his length inside me. I let out a shuddering gasp

"Ohhh, Garrus..." I moan, feeling him deeper and deeper inside, splitting me wider than I had ever thought possible. I wonder vaguely if all Turians are this big. Once I guide him fully inside, I sit up and start to bounce, lifting up slowly ony to thrust myself back down more and more forcefully. The sounds of our combined ecstasy fill the room as I move faster and faster, my body aching with desire.

Garrus relaxes a little and I now feel him thrusting his hips in rhythm with my own. I guide his hands to my breasts as the tempo continues to increase, our moans growing louder. Never had I felt such pleasure course through my body.

I nearly scream in shock and passion as Garrus flips me onto my pack, finally taking the upper hand, and rams down into me as forcefully as he can. I dig my nails into the leathery hide of his shoulders as I near an orgasm.

"Garrus.... Ga- Garrus! Oh, unh... _Oh God!!!_" An explosive force runs through my body as I climax, my whole body going rigid as my juices coat his thick shaft. He thrust so powerfully, o deep that I couldn't stop. Again adn again I am rocked with orgasms.

Garrus' eyes are squeezed shut as he slams into me more frantically. He rams me once more and he climaxes repeatedly inside of me until it overflows and he finally collapses beside me, completely spent.

A smile crosses both our faces as I gaze into his eyes.

"Shepard," Garrus whispers slowly, breathing heavily. "That was... so..."

"...amazing," I finish for him, wrapping my arms around his neck. We lie together, feeling as though nothing else exists.


	4. The Suicide Mission

_**If you have not beaten Mass Effect 2 or you don't want to read spoilers, please skip this chapter!**_

** WARNING**: end game spoilers for Mass Effect 2! You have been warned!

The Suicide Mission. Thanks to our ship upgrades and Joker's piloting skills, everyone survives the trip to the Collector base. When we arrive inside, however, our entire crew is dead. The team and I watch in horror at Yeoman Chambers in the Collector pod as she dies, her skin blackening into a viscous liquid. Her shrieks of agony are muffled by the pod's membrane as she begs for help. Miranda and Thane slowly crack it open, but are too slow to save her. Garrus and Zaeed bust open the one pod with a live crew member. Doctor Chakwas looks into my luminous red eyes, her gray ones filled with such pain as I have seen only once before. It reminds me of Torfan, of the looks on the surviving crew members' faces as I sacrificed countless human lives and killed thousands more Batarians, some fighting but most begging for mercy. It didn't faze me back then, and it doesn't faze me now.

"You abandoned us! They're all dead!" Chakwas cries. "Everyone's dead and I'm the only one left!"

Arms folded and snarling, I growled, "I had no choice! I needed my team ready for this. This is more than some rescue mission, this is saving the fucking galaxy."

"I- I know," Chakwas whispers, eyes dropping to the floor. I radio Joker and set up a rendevous. I knew I would need all my manpower so I sent her alone.

The group split into two teams. Using Jack as our biotic shield, Miranda, Thane and I head forward. Zaeed offers to lead the distraction team, and I allow him. My team survives, but when we meet up with the distraction team, I find Zaeed slumped against the wall.

"I thought it would end like this," he groans. His head droops and his body crumples. I look away at the rest of the group.

"Let's keep moving," I order. I call Joker. "Are you at the rendevous point yet?" I ask.

"Eh," Joker hesitates. "Yeah, but Doctor Chakwas didn't make it." I cut off the transmission and we continue on.

Eventually we reach the center of the base. By now, I have Garrus and Mordin on my team. We battle the human-Reaper hybrid, and at his defeat the platforms we stand on collapse beneath us. We land beneath the rubble of the falling platforms. I am the first to stand, and I see Garrus limp on the floor. I run to him, praying that he isn't dead. I reach out to him and he groans gratefully as I help him up. We hug quickly and run to Mordin, who is trapped underneath a large section of concrete. We pull the debris off of his midsection and he stands up. We continue on our way, meet up with the others, and the eleven of us board the Normandy.

Inside, we return to the cargo hold to survey the damage and to send off our fallen comrade. I run my hand down the length of the white casket emblazoned with the black and yellow Cerberus logo. The feel of the cool metal all that reminds me of the man inside. I turn and walk away; the team follows at a distance.

Except for Garrus.

Garrus follows on my heels. I stop at the elevator door, and he does the same. When the door opens and I step in, he stands beside me, watching me carefully, silently. The rest of the team enters as well. One awkward elevator ride later, everyone is back at his usual post, except Garrus. Garrus and I stand together, waiting for the elevator to reach the top level: my personal quarters.

"Are you okay, Shepard?" he asks, touching my hand lightly. I look up at him and hold his hand in both of mine.

"As long as _you're _here, Garrus, with me." I reach out and hold his face in my hands. As I stroke his mandibles with my thumbs, he pulls me close and brings our foreheads together. He then takes my hand and walks me to my room. We go in and lock the door behind us. Garrus sits on the sofa and sighs.

"You know, Shepard. I can't even believe we both survived." He looks up at me, a little sad. "Shepard," he starts again, slowly. "I know it was just 'relieving tension', but…" he trails off, looking down at the floor. I choke. I know what I want to say: _I want this to be more, to be _with_ you, completely. _But I can't make the words come out. Instead I sit on his lap and wrap my arms around his neck. I pull our foreheads together.

Holding Garrus tightly, I feel myself start to cry. I squeeze my eyes shut and fight the tears, hating the thought of showing this disgusting womanly weakness to anyone, even Garrus. Soon, my body betrays my intent and the tears fall freely, dripping down my fast like two tiny rivers.

"Sh- Shepard?" I open my eyes to see Garrus looking at me in a mild panic. His voice shakes with concern. "What's the matter. Have I done something?"

I shake my head, furiously wiping my face with my sleeve. Sniffling, I stumble across my words: "I just don't want to lose you." I start crying again and hide by face from Garrus by nuzzling his neck. He takes hold of my shoulders and gently pulls me away. Using one talon, he lifts my chin up, making me look at him. I hide my face behind my hands, ashamed of my tears.

He pulls my hands away from my face. My face cupped in his hands, he dries my tears with his thumbs.

"You _won't_ lose me." He brings our foreheads together once more. "I promise."

I lean away from him and smile. He takes my face back into his hands and a single talon floats across the luminous crimson scars on my face.

"I love you, Garrus," I whisper, grateful that I've finally got a hold of myself.

"I love you too, Shepard," he replies, mandibles quivering happily. "Come on, let's lie down for awhile. Spirits know we _both_ need it." He slides his right hand down to my back and his left slides underneath my thighs. He stands and carries me over to the bed, laying me down carefully. He lies down on the left side of the bed beside me.

I rest my hand on the middle of his chest and press my forehead against the side of his neck. Sharp, armor-like scales never felt so soft before. I snuggle into his neck. Soon, I feel and hear a soft purring sound from him.

His arm is wrapped around my shoulders; his talons click softly as his fingers play with the ends of my hair. We fall asleep, knowing that we can take whatever the galaxy throws at us so long as we take it on together.


	5. A Face From the Past

"Commander, you've got a new message in your private terminal." EDI's voice wakes me up. I prop myself up on my elbows.

"I can check it later. Why are you telling me _now_?" I ask, feeling Garrus sit up beside me.

"The message is from Commander Alenko, Shepard. It has been marked as urgent, ma'am," she answers.

"I'll check it _later_," I growl, rolling over and returning to my sleep. Garrus lays his arm around me and sleeps as well.

We awake a few hours later. We dress and walk to the elevator, hug at the Crew Cabin level, and I watch him go to his station in the Main Battery. I stay and go up to the C.I.C.

"Commander, you might wanna come to the bridge," Joker calls over the speakers. I walk the short distance there and stand behind him. A dark-haired man with a strong build is standing beside him, silent.

"What?" I ask, folding my arms and shifting my hips to one side.

The man beside Joker turns around and smiles. He walks forward and hugs me before I can speak or push him away.

"It's good to see you Shepard."

"Kaidan." I wait for him to release me.

"What?" he asks. Joker turns to watch. It's obvious that Kaidan's the only person on the ship who _doesn't _know about Garrus and me.

"Did something happen?" Kaidan asks, looking at Joker in hopes of a clue. He turns back to me, puts his hands around my head and kisses me passionately. I gasp and grab hold of his shoulders. I push him and he backs away immediately. He looks at me in bewilderment.

"What's wrong with you, Shepard?" he asks, reaching out to touch my arm. I take two steps back and shake my head.

"Kaidan," I start, unsure of how to continue. "I—we… Kaidan." I sigh. "It was_ two years ago_, Kaidan." His expression becomes dejected. I don't think he ever considered rejection a possibility.

"Can't we just pick up where we left off?" he asks.

"No we can't."

"What do you mean? Why not?"

"Ooooh, _here it comes!_" Joker giggles. I walk past Kaidan and backhand him.

"Shut the fuck up." I turn around; Kaidan and I have switched place. I feel a little bit trapped at the moment, but I continue anyways.

"Two years is a long time, Kaidan. Things change." I really am trying to be delicate about this. Even if Kaidan was just a fling, I don't want to break his heart _too_ bad.

"Just say it, Shepard." Kaidan's voice is borderline monotone. I open my mouth to talk, but words fail me. Kaidan looks to Joker for answers. "There's someone else, isn't there?"

"_Maybe_," Joker grins. I smack him again. "Commander!" he whines, rubbing the back of his head.

"Who?" Kaidan asks angrily. "Who is it?" I glare at Joker. _Why did you have to open your goddamn mouth?_ I look away from Kaidan. "Look at me Shepard, _please_." He grabs my shoulder forcefully and my brain vaguely registers the pain. Before I can think to push him off, I feel Kaidan's grip disappear and see him hit the ground—hard. I pull my eyes away from the floor, my face burning and holding back tears, to see Garrus.

"It's _me_," he says. Stepping over Kaidan as he picks himself up, Garrus puts his arm around me, pulling me close. "Don't _ever_ let me see you treat Shepard like that again or I'll kill you." Kaidan, hunched over in pain, glares up at Garrus.

"Was that necessary?" he groans.

"Told ya he's been beating people with that stick he pulled outta his ass," Joker mumbles to himself.

"Why didn't you just tell me Shepard?" Kaidan starts. "I waited for _two years_. I thought we could be together again." Kaidan's pleas only make me bury my face in Garrus' shoulder.

"Maybe if you didn't just run off at Horizon," Garrus snarls. "You wouldn't even listen to her when she was explaining her reasons for working with Cerberus. You just yelled at her and ran off. What kind of man would do that to the woman he loves?" His mandibles flare with anger.

"It's not that I don't love her, it's that I don't trust Cerberus. Shepard shouldn't have to work for them," Kaidan scowls.

"Whatever. You screwed up; get over it." Garrus cracks his knuckles and takes a step toward Kaidan.

"I expected better from you," Kaidan whispers morosely, eyes resting on me for just a moment before storming out through the airlock.

My eyes are moist with repressed tears. I realize that I've been biting my nails and pull my hand away from my mouth. I walk away, leaving Garrus behind with Joker.

"Commander?"

"Shepard?" Garrus follows cautiously. I stop in front of the Galaxy Map, grateful for now that no crew remained to see my moment of weakness.

I press my fingers against my temple and my bottom lip starts to quiver. I gasp, feeling my breath in sharp irregular bursts. Without any further delay, I finally give up on holding in my tears and begin to sob. I cover my face with my hands, wishing I could disappear.

_Why has love made me weak?_

Something holds me tightly. I uncover my face and look up at Garrus. He holds me about my waist with his left hand while his right strokes my hair comfortingly.

"Please," he whispers softly in my ear. "Please don't cry." I grab his shoulders tightly and lay my forehead against his chestplate.

"I just want to leave it all behind me," I cry. "_God_, I almost wish I'd left _him_ behind on Virmire." I sigh. "You know, I really didn't even think we'd survive. It never even crossed my mind what would happen _after_." Garrus loosens his embrace and pushes me away just enough to see my face.

"And what about me?" he asks. My heart seems to stop at the solemnity of his voice.

"What do you mean?"

"Did you ever think about the 'after' with _me_?"

"Of course I did!" I sob, fresh tears falling down my face. I can't believe he actually said something so cruel. "Kaidan just kind of… happened. I always wanted _you_. I thought you would've seen that, even back then."

I bang my fist against his armor, sobbing harder and harder. My legs decide to fail me and I start to fall to my knees. Garrus catches me and picks me up. He carries me to the elevator, then to my personal quarters, finally laying me down on my bed.

When he sets me down, my tears are beginning to slow down. My cheeks are flushed and I sniffle pitifully. I expect Garrus to turn and leave, but instead he stays leaned over the bed, stroking my cheek with his gentle talons.

"I love you, Shepard." He stands to leave.

"Please don't go," I beg, sitting up and reaching for his hand to pull him back. I barely miss.

"Shepard?" he asks.

"I, I don't want to be alone," I say, crossing my legs. I fold my hands in my lap and stare at my fingernails.

"Hey," he says as he sits beside me. "You're not alone." He turns my head to face him and I gaze deeply into his eyes. I've never noticed how bright blue they are before.

"I'm so sorry," I say as we hug.

"Why?" He holds me tighter.

"I'm sorry about Kaidan." I break our embrace. "If I had known _we _could become this," I hold his hand, "I never would've even talked to Kaidan." He pulls me into another hug.

"I mean, we talked a little while we hunted Saren," I continue. "And I always wanted it to be more than just friendship, but you never showed any interest." Garrus' mouth falls open for a moment before he speaks.

"You—you were waiting for _me_ to make the first move?"

"I wanted you so much. I only went to Kaidan because I was desperate." Garrus' eyes widen.

"Desperate? _ You_?" he asks.

"I… I never…" I mumble. Still hugging, he brings our foreheads together into another Turian kiss.

"You never what?" His voice is soft, almost a whisper.

"I've never been in love before you, Garrus. Kaidan and before, it was always just physical, but—" I lose my words.

"But…?" Garrus holds my face in his hands; his voice waiting for me to finish. Our long embrace finally ends and I blush deeply.

"With you, Garrus… I, it—God, I can't even talk straight around you. It's just," I sigh, hoping to organize my frenzied emotions into words. "I couldn't make it without you, Garrus."

"Shepard, I never thought you would say something like that. Hell, I didn't think it was physically possible," he chuckles.

"It's true," I whisper, my head still spinning from everything that just happened. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Garrus lays me on my back and lies beside me on his stomach, face turned towards me and his arm across my torso. His talons float across my shoulders and his forearm rests on my sternum, between my breasts. He nuzzles the side of my neck and I feel his mandibles twitch contentedly against my shoulder.


End file.
